Election 2023: TGIF vibes as Chris Hipkins returns to the campaign trail after Covid isolation

By John Hartevelt

Labour leader Chris Hipkins chose craft beers and go karting with colleagues in his home town as he got back on the campaign trail today.

Hipkins was stuck in an Auckland hotel isolating with Covid-19 for five days this week.

On Friday afternoon, he was joined by colleagues Ayesha Verrall, Ginny Andersen and Barbara Edmonds in his hometown of Upper Hutt.

* See how the day on the campaign trail unfolded with RNZ's live blog.

In what may well have been a fixed outcome, Hipkins raced over the line at the go-kart track first with a chequered flag in hand and wide grin across his face.

At an aftermatch function at the Boneface brewery, Hipkins enjoyed a pilsner and a laugh with a colourfully dressed groom-to-be on his stag do. Hipkins shouted him a beer.

This morning, Hipkins emerged from his isolation period declaring himself fit and healthy to fight out the final days of the campaign.

After the flight down to Wellington, he joined supporters for a spot of sign waving at Evan's Bay. After only a minute or so of pumping the placards skywards, Hipkins said his arms were getting tired.

He went on to campaign in Porirua having photographs and getting some well wishes from locals.

In a kebab shop, Hipkins was talked into trying the baklava.

Christopher Luxon's day

National's leader was in Taranaki on Friday, starting his day of campaigning at the Jean Sandel Retirement home.

It was a bold move, pitting himself against the All Blacks Rugby World Cup pool clash with Uruguay, which was on nearby screens as he addressed the residents.

But a collection of walking frames gathered at the back of the room indicated he was a solid draw for the crowd.

Luxon's pitch touched on the politics of race, law and order, gangs and ram raids, among other things.

But it wasn't for everyone. "Boring!" muttered one lady as she collected her walker and headed for the exit.

Later, Luxon was flanked by shiny red tractors as he stood on the back of a flat bed trailer to address supporters at Field Torque, a rural machine store in Stratford.

He told them National would get rid of red tape, wasteful spending and support middle income people.

He also claimed gang leaders had been enrolling members "so they can vote Labour".

"Farmers are great people ... the backbone of New Zealand, not villans," he said.

Advance voting

In Auckland, Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson was joined by her party's candidate for Tāmaki Makaurau, Darleen Tana, voting at Ruapōtaka Marae, Glen Innes.

There was an awkward moment when an electoral officer was initially unable to find Davidson's name on the public roll, which was resolved when she realised she's on a private roll for safety reasons.